Handprints

Sunday, March 4, 2018

A
Northern Cardinal lends some much needed color to a Rose of Sharon
branch.

As
mentioned in our last post, the past two months have seen an
abundance of Cardinal activity out our way, both in and around the
yard and in the neighboring woodlots. During a time of year that is typically devoid of bright colors it has been a joy to see such an abundance of these lovely avian creatures.

Mrs.
Cardinal savors a sunflower seed.

Can’t
say we’ve ever before witnessed a winter like this one where
Cardinals are concerned. They began showing up just before Christmas
and their numbers increased as winter kicked into high gear. In the
time since we have taken more Cardinal photos than the previous two
years combined.

He sure bears a striking resemblance to one of the "Angry Birds, doesn't he?

A Goldfinch looks on as a female Cardinal plucks a sunflower seed
from the snow.

Switching
over to black oil sunflower seeds rather than a seed mix – and a
generous application thereof - may have had something to do with our
experiencing an influx of Cardinals this winter. And it was well
worth it as the “redbirds” sure do help make the winter pass
quickly.

Monday, February 26, 2018

We have been waiting a long time to capture the right photo of a
Northern Cardinal in our Norway Spruce. Jim planted the spruce when
it was a seedling barely eight inches in height and as a result its
first few winters were spent buried beneath the snow.

Our vision has been realized!

Today the spruce stands upwards of 23 ft in its boughs have no
trouble bearing the weight of a heavy snowfall. Add a Northern
Cardinal to that scenario and we had the desired Christmas card
effect we have long been hoping for.

Is this my good side?

In addition to the photos seen here of Cardinals in our spruce tree,
we have several others taken in and around our property and we’d
like to share them with you in our next post.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

When
photographing wildlife we move slowly and deliberately, trying our
best to remain undetected. This is especially true with our avian
friends as they tend to be skittish and become spooked rather easily.
However, there were times when our “quarry” was not only aware of
our presence, but much to our delight, they appeared to be curious
rather than alarmed much like the cardinal pictured above. Here are a
few more of those instances captured during the spring and early
summer of 2017.

Why are you looking at me?.

This
Yellow Warbler was busy probing apple blossoms for insects when it
spotted me. We find Yellow Warblers difficult to photograph as they
tend to rapidly flit about, whether in the wild or here in our apple
tree probing the tiny white flowers for insects.

I'm pretty sure he's giving me the evil eye.

This
Tree Swallow paused long enough for a series of pics, including this
eye-to-eye confrontation. They are a territorial sort and normally an
exercise in perpetual motion. Whether protecting their nest or
picking off insects on the fly, their daylight hours are spent
performing airborne acrobatics in the form of swoops, dives and high-
speed passes meant to intimidate intruders – including invasive
photographers!

Looking
like a toddler sampling his first birthday cake, this

Rose-breasted
Grosbeak stares into the camera while feasting on soggy suet.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

I don’t believe I’ve ever, in my entire life, caught sight
of a Pileated Woodpecker and not stopped whatever I was doing simply
to observe the largest of North America’s woodpeckers at work. And if their presence was made known audibly by a loud, ringing cuck
cuck cuck, that too was cause to scan the immediate area in
search of a dark, crow-sized bird with white neck stripes and a
prominent red crest atop its head. Even on the fly there is no mistaking the Pileated Woodpecker’s
undulating flight pattern, or those easy to spot white markings on
the underside of their wings.

What's for lunch today?

Although we’ve not yet heard their tell-tale call in the
winter months spotting them has not been difficult. With zero
foliage they are easier to espy, whether on the wing while passing
through the open woodlands or alternately probing and hammering away
at tree bark.

This male is taking a brief break from drilling for his next meal.

In recent days, with arctic air invading the area, the Pileated
Woodpecker was a sight to behold for sure as evidenced by this male
in a large Cottonwood tree. He seemed oblivious to the cold,
undeterred by single digit and even below zero temps. Personally, we
found him to be a natural delight, both entertaining, amusing and a
joy to watch.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

High above Windmill Marsh the male osprey soared, alternately
circling and hovering as it scanned the water below. Then, in an
instant, it plummeted toward the surface of the marsh. The final
second of its rapid descent was shielded from our view by towering
pines, yet there was no mistaking the loud splash. Moments later the
Osprey was airborne once again. Though his talons were empty there
would be no returning without food. He continued his search, flying
eastward over the marsh.

A
quarter mile to the west in Hazard Campbell Marsh, the female of the
pair stood guard, her fledglings hidden from sight in the deep
confines of a large stick nest.

It was early May and Claudia and I were hiking the network of trails
on Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area. This was not our first
sighting of this pair of ospreys. Three other outings had yielded
similar results, with the female standing guard over the nest while
the male perched in a nearby dead tree.

AKA the “Fish Hawk”, Ospreys attain a wing span of five feet or
better and commonly nest along lakes, rivers and coastal areas, the
species’ preferred hunting grounds. Like the Bald Eagle, Ospreys
have made a dramatic comeback in recent years. Pesticide use in the
50’s and 60’s led to a drastic decline in their numbers but
thankfully, they are once again nesting in areas from which they once
disappeared.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

In Recent years our attempts at getting photos of the smallest of
North America’s herons resulted in fair to middling results at
best. But this past summer that all changed.

Outings
this year to the Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area proved to be quite
fruitful. As we became familiar with the various marshes and the
interconnecting network of trails, we came across an ever-growing
variety of wildlife found therein. And to our delight, none proved
more accommodating at having their picture taken than the little
Green Heron.

A Green Heron scans it's surrounding from on high.

While
they do perch in trees like the specimen seen here craning its neck,
the Green Heron is a stalker of stream and marsh edges, where it
hunts small fish and frogs. And yet it is most difficult to spot them
in such cover where they tend to be nearly invisible, blending in
perfectly among cattails, phragmites and other wetland growth that
affords them cover.

One can't help but envy his fishing skills.

At times crafty in its attempt to lure prey, the Green Heron has been
known to take a small twig or feather in their sizeable bill and drop
it gently on the surface, hoping the slight disturbance will attract
a potential meal.

Friday, September 8, 2017

Late summer and its subtle shift into early autumn provides
easy-on-the-eyes scenery. One of our favorite places to take in the
sights this time of year is on the wetlands in northwest Genesee
County. And that is where we’ve spent a great deal of our time
since our last post as our focus this year has mainly been along the
trails and marshes of Oak Orchard WMA for our hiking and picture
taking.

A Monarch Butterfly sits atop a colorful cluster of Joe Pye Weed.

A meadow of Purple Loosestrife along the Hazard Campbell Marsh is but one of the many colorful reasons why this time of year is a favorite not only for us, but many others as well.

Early morning finds a doe and her fawn in a secluded meadow.

Our nature photography has been interesting this year, with adventures
that evoked smiles, gasps and an overall good deal of satisfaction.
Today’s post is just a small sample of what we look forward to
sharing with you in the coming weeks and months.